Dark Beauty
by Geia Akyama
Summary: Born under unusual circumstances and raised with a loving family this unsuspecting Dark Eco Sage of Haven City may be just what Baron Praxis looking for. Watch out Jak this woman's got claws and a temper to match.
1. Tulgar Gaggle

Dark Beauty written by Geia Akyama  
Chapter 1-Tulgar Gaggle

--

Errol's voice.

"Everyone can channel Eco, some better than others. One in ten million people can naturally channel Dark Eco, half of those die at an early age. Of the ones that live to become adults nearly all are mentally unstable like those poor wretches in the Dark Warrior Program.

But that one, just one in three thousand million, is stable. That once in a lifetime person can mold the Dark Eco to their will. Last ones were from long before Haven City was more than a dream concocted by peasants. The brother and sister who nearly ruled the world if ancient texts are to be believed.

Baron Praxis, we are overdue for such an individual. But the odds are in our favor. Traders, rouges and rebels alike flock to this once glorious city and with all the Eco we've collected such a person would be drawn here. They can't hide from us, sir. My men are already searching. This epiphany of your hard work can be molded to our purposes. It's just a matter of time..."

--

_FWEET FWEET FWEET FWEET!  
_  
A small alarm blares down an empty hallway of the Tulgar house. It was mid morning and most of the houses occupants were awake and in the living room in the company of armored Krimzon Guard soldiers. some wait at the rickety table while others stood around the room with their guns resting against the walls most had their helmets off while an older woman hands the KG bowls of broth liquid with bits of vegetables floating on top  
_  
_the heavy tread of an armored KG soldier echoed down a dingy hallway of the old house and the rattle of the armor was nothing compared to the faint sound of a gun being loaded with blue Eco bullets._  
_  
The worn wood door was thrown open with a bang and a tall man in a Krimzon Guard uniform stuck his head into the bedroom. With the helmet off every detail of his face could be seen. The high cheek bones framed by wavy purple black hair with matching eyes. The scar along one cheek and square chin were among the strongest features along with the tattoos on his face of a Sergeant in the twelfth infantry.

a figure was sprawled out on the bed and one pale, slender leg stuck out over the edge of the narrow cot and a mess of Dark Eco colored hair was flung over the thin pillow at the opposite corner

"YOU'RE UNDER ARREST FOR SLEEPING TOO LONG AND FOR BEING COMPLETELY NAKED TULEE!"

The Young woman jerked awake and fell on the side of the bed opposite the door with a startled yelp in a tangle of legs arms and blankets. Snarls and grunts let the two men at the door know she was fighting free of her linen bonds

"your right Alden that IS rather fun!"

The KG soldier behind his helmet less comrade flipped the face plate back and smiled impishly at his eldest brother. Tulee was the only girl in the family aside from mom and she slept like the dead if you let her. She made up for that however in being rather strong and violent.

The girl knelt on hands and knees and swiped her shoes and some dust from under her bed before hurling a shoe at her older brothers. The soft soled shoe bounced harmlessly off the chest armor and landed on the floor at their feet with a thwack.

"ALDEN! MACH! YOU'RE BOTH SOOOO DEAD WHEN I GET MY HANDS AROUND YOUR NECKS! MAR HELP YOU, YOU'LL PAY!"

The girl snatched a reasonably clean shirt from a chest next to the bed and glared at her brothers retreating figures, just because they'd been promoted by the baron didn't mean they had to show off all the time!

"Precursors Alden! Did you see the look on her face? How long do we have?? I don't want to be in a room alone with her today!"

Alden smiled like the grim reaper and ran for all he was worth back to the kitchen, mom, and Uncle Knuth. There was enough time to snag some bread and get out the door before Tulee gave chase.

"I'd say five maybe ten minutes. She can dress fast..."

both men slid to a halt in the crowded kitchen and the young boy sitting at the table looked wide eyed at his eldest brothers. Airen was the last of the Tulgar Gaggle and the baby of them all. With a family of mainly men who all served Baron Praxis the kid had big shoes to fill when he grew up.

But for now the little four year old boy simply stayed with his uncle and aunt during the day. And played with other children, recently he'd been talking about a playmate with green hair who didn't talk at all.

"I know that look Mach. You woke her up but good didn't you..."

Tanner snickered around his porridge and tried not to smile too much. He was just a captain of the "dredge works." A unit that combed through the sewers on occasion to purge the city of metal heads that got too curious and of unwanted pests like those Metal-bugs.

Thundering from the hallway foretold a very angry girl's arrival and Mach and Alden squeezed between the crowd to get the table between Tulee and themselves. The furious girl slid to a halt at the end of the hallway and glared venomous fire at her eldest brothers. The look itself was more then enough of a warning of what was to come.

Those not involved it this little sibling spat quickly exited the little kitchen/living room on their own business leaving an aggravated young woman, a stunned child, two KG being cornered and an older woman long past her prime with dark hair that faded to gray.

The three siblings vied for a better position around the small table with the girl keeping herself between the men and the front door.

"Think that was fun huh Alden? Just cuz it's the day I've been waiting for doesn't make me easy prey... nuh uh... this time I'm gonna siphon your brains out through your EAR!"

"Shit Alden! See ya!"

Mach faked to the left and dodged to the right under his younger sisters reaching arm and out the door with a rattle of armor and a raspy prayer of thanks for his narrow escape. Fire danced in the sparring siblings eyes and tension in the room mounted as little Airen scuttled for his bedroom after his mother. These little fights happened on occasion and all you could really do is let them resolve themselves.

There was a pause as both siblings measured the strength of the other person and Alden made the first move.

The table and everything on it crashed to the floor as the much larger KG made room to spar with his sister. Though out weighed and lacking in her brothers height Tulee was no pushover and used her small stature to often flip her opponents on their backs.

The fight was short lived. Alden swept the ground under Tulees' feet with a low roundhouse kick only to find the girl had leaped straight up to land a kick directly to his chin with bone jarring force that snapped his head backwards.

The girl landed poorly and caught her brother's fist with her stomach. The punch was well aimed and the dark haired woman's eyes opened wide as she gasped for air like a fish out of water.

After that the squabble devolved into thrashing arms and legs that ended with the girl flat on her back and panting on the floor with her winded brother standing over her.

"Dammit Tulee you're strong something fierce. I just hope Errol doesn't want to do training today. Whew."

Alden staggered to the door and picked his helmet up off the floor and fished his gun out from under the slightly moldy sofa.

"Catch ya later Lee. And get some panties on."


	2. Day of many firsts

Dark Beauty written by Geia Akyama  
Chapter 2-Day of many firsts

--

Tulee bid her farewells to her family and stepped outside the little run down house in the Water Slums. Though it looked worse on the outside than it did on the inside and the Tulgars had this building all to themselves. Not many people were desperate enough to live in the decaying old area and even residents had to be careful of rotting boards underfoot.

Fortunately most people only got dunked once or twice before learning the tell-tale sound of the wood about to give way beneath them.

Weak sunlight pierced the gloom that hung over the slums and made the deep waters glow as though there were light from within the depths of the small man made lake inside the city. It would take hours before the strikingly cold water warmed sufficiently and even longer before some of the more adventurous would dare to swim.

Reflected light played over the budding young woman's clean knee length pants and pale orange shirt with a V neckline. The entire outfit had been a present on her last birthday and today, the day she finally achieved her Majority, seemed the perfect day to show it off. The looks she received from the young eligible men made the effort of actually looking like a woman tolerable.

Tulee smiled and nodded at a passing KG soldier and walked on. She knew most of the men that patrolled around the Slums. As the daughter of a once prominent commander she knew a lot about the inner workings of the Krimzon Guard and most of the low ranking grunts in her area, and in most of the sectors nearby, too.

The wooden planks thumped hollowly under the thin soles of her shoes. The sky lightened over head and clouds scudded lazily across it in the early morning light. Not the dark gray clouds of the late summer months but white fluffy clouds of early spring.

The young lady shaded her eyes from the early morning sun and looked off to the east and narrowed her eyes in remembrance. Just over a year ago the sky had opened up like a great mouth and spat something out near the Power plant. Some said a man was found in the wreckage. Others said a wonderful machine fell and shattered into a thousand shards upon impact, still others said that it was a weapon that Baron Praxis was working on.

There were so many different sides to the story that it was hard to tell what was truth and what was false. But there was one thing everyone agreed on; whatever it was that fell, the Barons personal guard had scooped it up and whisked whatever it was to the palace.

Not that she'd gotten a chance to see it. She'd been in the house tending her little brother, Airen, because he'd fallen ill. All she got from the incident was a racing pulse from the ground shuddering and a rather large bump from the ceiling collapsing right after that.

Tulee tossed an errant strand of purple-black hair out of her face as she entered the market portion of town. Being closer to the Palace than the slums it was much cleaner and in better repair than her home sector. Scents of fruits drifted through the air with the sweet scent of cooking meats flavored with spices and marinated in their own juices. Maybe she'd stop by the community kitchen to say hello to her mother later.

A pair of long slender arms shrouded in silk and weighed down with bracelets wrapped around her from behind and pulled her in for a bruising embrace. Tulee grunted in surprise and arched her back to get loose even while her assailant flung her around like a rag doll.

"Tulee! Oh I'm so glad we found you before you went to go get your first ever job! We were so afraid you'd go and just work you little tush off as soon as you gained your majority! You only turn eighteen once you know! Come on say something!"

Tulee panted heavily and got enough air in her lungs for one sentence before gasping like a fish out of water for a second time.

"You're crushing me!"

"She could talk if you let her Enira..."

The overly energetic Enira stopped crushing the unfortunate Tulgar and frowned. As far as brains went Enira hadn't gotten her fair share. However being born into a rich family and having extremely good looks the buxom young lady didn't have to do much at all.


	3. Trinity sisters

Dark Eco Beauty by Geia Akyama  
Chapter 3-Trinity sisters

--

Tulee gratefully sucked air into starved lungs even as she knelt on the ground at her rather busty friends feet. Enira seemed oblivious of any kind of distress and smiled fondly at the petite woman before her. Behind Enira, Hellan tapped the dusty ground with one sandaled foot and regarded her both women with borderline distain and irritation.

"Honestly, Tulee you could at least have told us you were planning on ruining your figure first..."

Hellan was tall for a woman and like Enira wore a style of clothing that only the wealthy families could afford. Brightly colored silks imported from beyond the mountains to the north with beads and occasionally precious stones sewn in.

Red, orange, and yellow silk hugged the frowning woman's curvy features and put special emphasis on her narrow waist and generous hips. Delicate tanned toes had their nails carefully painted shell pink to match her hair and nails. Amber eyes roamed over everything and missed no details.

"Aww come on Hellan! We found Lee before she did anything at all! Poor girl musta been brainwashed or something not to talk to me at leas!"

The panting Tulee and dominating Hellan both suppressed groans at the final member of the "Trinity Sisters" made her presence known. The voice was as bright as the lady's disposition and her slightly nasal voice could cut through even the nosiest rooms with ease.

Though not related the three silk wrapped women were so rarely seen apart that the casual observer would assume that the three of them were related by blood instead of merely being close friends in their social circle. These Sisters were also known for their tendency to tempt men into their shared penthouse for nights of untold pleasure.

Hellan sighed and closed her eyes. Her face should have been as pretty as the rest of her body, save for the young Ruth's habit of looking down on commoners and frowning as though she smelled something unpleasant.

"Finally showed up Selah? Late as usual..."

Hellan's voice cracked like a whip when compared to Selah's bright southern drawl. Both woman were raised in prominent families and both could have any man they wished just by cocking a single finger. However Selah's easy going nature and, for lack of a better term, aura drew men to her like a magnet where the older Hellan Ruth had to work her charms to land a casual dalliance.

Together Enira, Selah, and Hellan, along with their closest friend Tulee were the gems of Haven City. Followed and loved by the young men not involved in the Krimzon Guard and whose favors were sought often for varying reasons.

Tulee would bring any man of her choosing into one of the most prestigious families that ever served the rulers of Haven City which could be traced back to the time of Mar. Having only just turned eighteen, her influence among her peers was weak but nor for a lack of trying.

The happy and well formed Enira would bestow on her husband the wealth of the blue and red Eco mines her father's family had run for centuries. She was the second oldest of the Trinity Sisters being 21 and often did whatever Hellan told her to do.

Selah's family worked closely with the weapon dealers in the swampy lands to the south and had a lucrative business trafficking only the best things in for the Baron. She was only three months older than Tulee and had put them to good use if the long glances men gave her were anything to judge by.

Hellan, not to be outshone by her associates, had her hands in a great many sources of information about events both inside and outside the City, excluding the Wastelands. Her only real interest in Tulee was for the inside information the woman let slip about the inner workings in the KG. She was also the oldest being 23 years old.

"Come on Two-lee tell us what'cha planning on doing? Maybe you can work in the palace and serve those fine young commanders the Baron's surrounded himself with!"

Tulee made a eww face at Selah's lengthy drawl of her first name and brushed the dust from her new outfit. She'd lost precious talking with her friends. If she didn't hurry all the best occupations would be taken! With effort the young Tulgar pretended a lack of interest in hr voice and expression and slapped the last of the dust from her pants.

"I don't know. I was thinking of going to the Courtyard where the Guard gathers to hand out jobs and see if any of them struck my fancy."

Enira gasped and grabbed the dark haired lady's arm in a bruising grip and locked gazes with her dearest friend.

"You mean your going to get a JOB??"


	4. Miner

Dark Eco Beauty by Geia Akyama  
Chapter 4-Miner

--

Tulee squeezed past the young, and rather randy, men at the very back of the crowd by the Palace fountain and more than once the dark haired woman had to swat people out of her way and away from her pockets. Today she was using Tanners yellow security pass and he wouldn't thank her if she lost it!

At the head of the crowd and on a raised platform made of only the finest wood was Baron Praxis himself speaking pretty words and good intentions of his captive audience. He must have been talking for a while already because he'd abandoned looking at whatever had been prepared ahead of time and was looking into the eyes of everyone before him and speaking whatever came to his mind.

The Tulgar lady stopped in the middle of the crowd as the Barons' cybernetic eye passed over her on its wandering path to those in the back. The Baron had sustained those horrible injuries that forced him to rely on technology at the same time her father had been slaughtered by the Metalheads during that ill fated assault on the Nest over nine years ago.

"And so today is a very proud day! A day for you to go to your families after a hard day's work and say that you helped ensure your cities survival!" The Baron hit the podium so smartly with his thick fist that the whole stage jumped with the impact. "These jobs I create for you will help in our ongoing quest to destroy the Metalhead scourge forever and to bring about an era of peace! Some of you may die but that's a chance I'm willing to take, remember I'd never ask you to do something I was not willing to do myself. Work hard and everyone will prosper! Slack off and you'll take a short walk with one of my Krimzon Guards..."

The Barons growled threat hung in the air like the stink of an overworked Lurker on a stiflingly hot day. The Baron would keep his word of course; whenever it involved squeezing usefulness from others he always kept his word. The crowd shuffled its feet and a few peopled coughed during the brief silence before the Baron spoke again.

"You may now approach the Captains of the Guard and receive your occupations. Those of you with careers in mind will instead come to me."

It took a good five minutes just to find out where the Barons short line of applicants had wandered off to. another ten minutes of jostling to get there, and finally a scathing minute involving a pickpocket and her brothers Security pass but finally it was her turn to talk with Baron Praxis, or much rather Errol who'd taken the Barons place. The lanky Captain of the Prison Guard looked as though he'd rather be anywhere else except here and took to snapping at the people before him.

As usual Errol elected not to wear his face plate or even the standard uniform, instead he was wearing his racing uniform-which did nothing to hide how rather lanky the man was-and used the lack of protective faceplate to scowl at everything that moved. Well Tulee could dish out anything that came at her even if the egotistical Errol happened to be serving it out!

--

When the tanned woman got her turn to talk, Errol was already thoroughly done with this tedious task of handing out occupations to spineless worms with no sense of duty! If you were unsure of where you wanted to be in life you joined the Guard! If you wanted to help with the Eco crisis you became a miner! And if he had to listen to one more complaint about how the Haven University had been closed to all but those willing to pay the entrance fee he swore on Mar's Lurker-soiled grave that person would be throttled on the spot!

Errol looked down his nose at the small woman and narrowed his eyes to the barest slits. Another worthless girl. Well perhaps farm work would suit this one. He listened with all too obvious disgust to her wish to work in one of the Barons mines. The mines were no place for a self-centered brat like this one! No, her place was either at home with her chosen mate or either at the farms just outside the City walls.

"Hahaha! You think you could help in the mines? I hope your joking because your kind belongs working the fields to feed the population within these walls. You'd just get in the way of an honest mans work!"

The girls' angry protest brought the Veteran Captain up short and he looked at this little nuisance for the first time even as her words called attention off those around her including his own subordinates. Dark Eco colored hair framed a rather pretty face and full lips were pulled back in a most unflattering snarl.

The girl stood at her full height, not much to be proud of there, and pulled her shoulders back to add another centimeter to her stature. That wasn't what commanded the attention of everyone who wasn't' trying to look busy. It was the nearly invisible emotional fire that cackled around her body and the black fire that danced in her eyes. She commanded respect from those factors alone and Errol was shocked that anyone would dare to interrupt him. But this girl's disrespect didn't end there; she took a deep breath and locked her eyes on his.

"Are you saying that one of the esteemed Tulgar Bloodline, the same Blood that has been spilled in the protection of this city, is not good enough to be put into the many undermanned mines about the outer City limits? Surely you're not saying that those criminals you send up there are far more worthy than one who's ancestors served the most honored Mar during his time of need! My blood is the same as that of the Barons! Maybe better if you take into account the deeds of our forefathers!"

Errol sucked in air through his teeth and felt the heat rise under his thin racing armor. A Tulgar, he should have noticed! They had ways of getting under ones skin in the worst way with no apparent effort. And this one was putting him on the spot in front of what felt like the whole city!

The taller man scowled and put reins on his temper. There were enough Tulgar's in the upper 

ranks of the Guard to make his tasks far more difficult than they needed to be. More specifically his dealings in the Dark Warrior Program. Rumors were getting out about a monster screaming in the depths of the prison and the descriptions of the monster were far too accurate for his tastes. No, he'd be fanning the flames if he gave the deceased Captain Archers daughter reason to stir her brothers into action.

Errol hissed and moved his arm as if he were going to strike this impudent girl from her feet to silence the tirade before it got any further out of hand. The girl danced backwards and eyed him with a challenge clearly written in her violet/black eyes. Already he could feel his men whispering behind his back and laughing at him. Anyone he caught mocking him would pay dearly!

"If you want to die in the Barons mines then go! But you'd best advise any Foreman that takes you in that he'll get no help from me!"

With that Errol turned smartly on his boot heels and stormed off to the Palace leaving those mindless sheep to wander around until night fell on Haven City. The next person to irritate him, however slightly would live to regret it. the metal hells of his boots hit the cracked pavement so sharply that sparks flew behind him as he mounted the steps to the Palace door. Errol's black mood carried through most of the Palace until he4 got to the hidden elevator to the Prison.


End file.
